Donald Trump Strikes Sour Note With Christian Musicians, Evangelicals

Donald Trump, pictured campaigning in Florida, has soured evangelicals on his campaign over his vile and abusive boasting. (Photo by Mark Wallheiser)

Donald Trump’s vile and abusive boasting about women in a 2005 audio recording is driving away evangelicals. Christian recording artist William Matthews and Christian artists Michael and Lisa Gungor are spreading the word–Trump’s values, campaign tactics and rhetoric are antithetical to Christian values.

Williams, a member of The All Americans, and the Gungors have produced a video that includes their new song “Free.” The ballad preaches the values of unity in overcoming oppression, according to the group Not Who We Are.

“Church is where I learned to sing, but it is also where I learned that my voice mattered,” said Matthews.

“We have power to stop one of the most dangerous candidates we’ve ever experienced in our lifetime. Donald Trump is dangerous because he does not care about black or brown people. He does not represent the American both of my grandfathers fought in World War II for,” he added.

“We have the power to stop someone who is using racial rhetoric to divide us, to tell us that we don’t matter or that our voices don’t matter. Donald Trump is not who we are.”

Trump has struggled to attract evangelical voters, who traditionally have backed Republican candidates. Nearly 100 evangelical leaders last week signed a letter urging their fellow Christians to vote against Trump.

His campaign is helping to accelerate the trend pushing some evangelicals away from an automatic affiliation with the Republican Party, especially among younger church-going members.

Millennial evangelical voters could be a key swing vote against Trump in critical states like North Carolina where 35 percent of the population identify as evangelical.

The trend is due in part because younger evangelicals are becoming more progressive. One 2015 study found that white evangelical millennials are twice as likely to support gay marriage as evangelicals over 65.

Matthews is a powerful voice in that community.

His solo album, Hope’s Anthem along with albums featuring hit songs like “Freedom”, “Deep Cries Out”, “Shine On Us” and “Glory to Glory” have consistently charted on Billboard.

He grew up in Michigan and North Carolina and currently resides in Los Angeles.

The Gungors, who perform as the band Gungor are a Grammy-nominated duo.

Gungor has just wrapped on a three-album trilogy, One Wild Life. The kickoff album One Wild Life: Soul was released in August a year ago. One Wild Life: Spirit followed in March and One Wild Life: Body was released Sept 30.

Not Who We Are bills itself as a movement of employees, professionals, student and civic association members from across the United States who are “speaking their conscience” through open letters to protest Trump’s “racially intolerant rhetoric and policies.

The focus of the group is a Web site where Americans disgusted by Trump can sign an open letter or create a more targeted one of their own. To date, more than 80 letters have been signed by thousands of Americans, the group said.

Check out the video.

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